


Stop. Rewind. Start again.

by deutschistklasse



Series: Salvage Universe [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Inspired By Tumblr, Inspired by Fanfiction, Pre-Canon, Pre-Canon Bato and Kya, Pre-Salvage AU, Salvage!Hakoda, Second Chances, Talks about killing and kidnapping, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27167869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deutschistklasse/pseuds/deutschistklasse
Summary: Salvage!Hakoda wakes up in the past. He has a hard time convincing Bato to help him kidnap, I mean, rescue a little fire prince. Thank the spirits for his brilliant, very much alive wife.
Relationships: Bato & Hakoda & Kya (Avatar), Bato & Hakoda (Avatar), Bato & Kya (Avatar), Hakoda/Kya (Avatar)
Series: Salvage Universe [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905865
Comments: 76
Kudos: 871





	Stop. Rewind. Start again.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts), [AlexandriaPaige](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandriaPaige/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Salvage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21116591) by [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/pseuds/MuffinLance). 



> Months ago I saw a meme from AlexandriaPaige on MuffinLance's tumblr about Salvage!Hakoda traveling back in time. This is what resulted from it. Happy reading!
> 
> I don't know if there are things that can make you uneasy. Maybe talks about killing and kidnapping and very light innuendos? If there is something, please make me know, that I could tag it.

When Hakoda woke up, he had to blink a few times, disoriented. He wasn’t on the _Akhlut_. Where was he? The piece of the roof he saw reminded him of his home. Yes, there was that shape he carved into it when he married Kya, and over there Sokka’s and Katara’s symbols. Bato always made fun of them, calling them nightmare fuel, but his family loved these carvings.

So maybe he was still on the ship, but having a dream about his home. He missed his family, his kids. He wanted to be there for them, but he couldn’t. And now he had another kid in his care, a traumatized, headstrong, loyal, loud and sweet, fiery ex-prince.

He must take him someday ice-dodging. He was curious, what the boy’s reaction to it would be. And they must speak about the message from General How. Zuko needed to know about it and to make a decision. He wanted the kid to have that choice, but if he wanted to be honest, he didn’t want him to leave. He was family, not by blood but by…

Not conquest, no. He didn’t exactly win the kid from his despicable father. He definitely didn’t defeat him. But even in the midst of misunderstandings and cultural differences their souls reached out and touched each other in a way they couldn’t predict.

By soul. Yes. That was the right word.

His musings were interrupted when a familiar warm body pressed into him, an almost forgotten voice mumbling something incoherent, as his wife slept on. He froze. He didn’t dream of his wife alive for years. It was always some nightmare with her corpse, or ghost or something equally upsetting. He was almost scared to look at her.

He chanced a glance. She was hale and almost radiant. Her hair covered most of her face, just a strand fluttering with her soft breathing. She was tangled in the furs, her left arm and foot sticking out. Hakoda very gently lifted her arm from his middle and slipped out of the bed, then tucked her in. He stroked her hair out of the way and kissed her forehead carefully, then tiptoed out in search of his children.

Was this a dream where he could control the happenings? Then maybe Zuko would make an appearance too. It would be so good to have all of his family together just this once.

\---------------

Hakoda behaved suspiciously. He didn’t know the year, he mentioned events which didn’t happen, he needed updating on the happenings in the tribe. He was amazed by every little thing. And he wanted to unite the tribes. That was understandable. He wanted a fleet. Okay. But the rest?

Bato was sure his best friend and Chief was either possessed by a spirit or touched by one, losing his mind in the process. How would one otherwise explain Hakoda obsessing over a non-existent third son, who was Fire Nation? And to top it all, a prince?

And what was that about Fire Lord Ozai? Everybody knew that the Fire Lord was Azulon, the Red-handed. And Ozai wasn’t his heir. He could understand why somebody would want to kill him, that was perfectly reasonable. Killing the heir too would be even better, but he was on the front, attacking Ba Sing Se. Unreachable. He didn’t dare to dream about killing Azulon too.

So. If Hakoda wanted the little prince as leverage, that would be acceptable too. But kidnapping the boy to rescue him? To adopt him? Why?

He had two perfect Water Tribe children, he didn’t need one more from the Fire Nation. If he wanted to have an international family, one could find orphans and abandoned children in the Earth Kingdom, they didn’t need to slink in the Fire Nation for it.

And how would Hakoda know about Ozai’s children? Did he even have a wife? Nobody knew much about the second prince, he wasn’t very important. Unlike the heir to the throne, he was staying home. Was he a coward or was he tucked away for safety? For having a spare, if something happened with the Crown Prince?

Bato didn’t understand Fire Nation politics. He didn’t even want to. He just wanted them to leave the rest of the world alone. And he wanted Hakoda to see reason.

\---------------

Kya went to search for her husband. He wasn’t next to her when she awoke, which was unusual. She checked upon the children, then left their abode. If Hakoda wasn’t home, then he was by Bato. She arrived in time to hear the end of a quarrel.

„I won’t help you sneak into the Fire Nation just to kidnap a maybe not even existing prince!”

„But he is in danger! And he is my son! No, not by blood, I was faithful, and you know it! But he is, or better said, he will be my son in the future! Bato, please, I need your help.”

„The future? I don’t care about the future! I care about the present! And your family is there, needing you to be here! No. I won’t help you. If it comes to the pinch I will tie you to myself.”

Kya stepped into the hut.

„Why would you want to tie my husband to yourself, Bato? What are you planning with him? Is there something you didn’t say to me?”

She watched with satisfaction Bato blush to the tip of his ears. He was always so easily provoked, she loved to embarrass him.

„Not like that, Kya! He wants to steal a fire prince and adopt him as a son!”

Kya looked at Hakoda and lifted an eyebrow. Hakoda had the grace to look chastised. But then he squared his shoulders and began to explain everything.

Time-travel or spirit stuff. A future where she was dead, the tribes united for once against the Fire Nation and a rescued/ kidnapped/ adopted Fire Prince living on Hakoda’s ship, being friends with most of the crew. The danger his father meant and the importance of killing him. The hope the young prince represented.

Kya leaned on her husband's chest, hugging him tightly. Her poor husband. She kissed him, then reached up to his face, holding it in place as she looked him in the eye.

„If Bato won’t help you, I will.” She ignored Bato’s choked swears. She continued with the reassurances Hakoda needed to hear. „I’m sure that the little prince will be a lovely son. Maybe we can kidnap, no, I mean, rescue his little sister too. We always wanted more children. But if we really try this, we can’t live in the tribe anymore. And we need to think about their mother too.”

„She loved Zuko, or so he says. Maybe we can rescue her too? And why can’t we live here? They wouldn’t be that dangerous. And the mother isn’t a firebender.”

„But the search parties sent after them would be. And they are Fire Nation. Do you think, it is healthy for little fire children to live in constant cold and half a year without the sun? And maybe their mother doesn’t want to be kidnapped? I mean, rescued. A slip of the tongue, again.”

„You’re right. But then what can we do?”

„Maybe not kidnap half the royal family?!”

Bato’s suggestion was ignored by Hakoda, like his every other attempt to divert them. Kya gave him friendship-points for trying, but this was important to Hakoda and if they succeeded, they really could make a change.

So, they needed to assassinate Ozai first. But how could they get close to him? What would be the best method? They needed to be underhanded, a direct hit would never succeed.

The tribe wasn’t suitable for this. They needed help from the Earth Kingdom and from the colonies first, then they needed to infiltrate the Fire Nation too. If Hakoda was correct, they had roughly four months until the raids in which she was killed. It must be enough.

It would be rough explaining all of it to the Water Tribes and to the Earth Kingdom allies, so they needed a better story too. Time-traveling wasn’t really credible. Maybe Hakoda had a spirit-dream or was a seer? That was much more acceptable. This could work.

She turned to Bato with a determined expression.

„We are assassinating Ozai and adopting Fire Nation royals into the family, do they want it or not. Are you with us or against us?”

„With you, all right. But I know you, Kya, and I’m onto you! So mark my word, I won’t marry that Fire Nation woman, not even for disguise! And I mean it!”

Kya smiled to herself. If it came to it, she could make it work. Bato never had a chance against her cunning and power of persuasion.

But for now, they needed to prepare for moving out of the South Pole and into the Earth Kingdom. She heard Kyoshi Island had a lovely beach. Surely worth checking it out.


End file.
